Eight miners are trapped and feared dead after a coal mine blast
in central China's Hunan Province, officials with the provincial
coal mine safety authority said Sunday.
The mine owner had disappeared and failed to report the gas
explosion, which was reported to have occurred around 2:00 a.m. on
Saturday in Mingxing village, Matian Township of Yongxing County,
said He De'an, director of the authority's accident investigation
department.
He said the county government received a report from residents
hours later on Saturday and about 11 miners were believed to be
working in the mine when the accident happened.
More than 60 rescuers rushed to the scene and found three
miners, but eight others were still trapped, He said.
Two explosions happened after rescue work began, and the high
density of gas and carbon monoxide in the shafts has almost made it
impossible for the trapped miners to survive, He said.
The mine had been ordered to close several times. Just two days
before the accident, the county government had organized 40
officials to close small mines in the area, He said.
But the mine owner somehow managed to hide the equipment in the
shaft during the day and operate at night, according to the miners
who survived.
Local police are searching for the mine owner.
(Xinhua News Agency April 22, 2007)